Design : Development News

After two-and-a-half months On the Ground in Germantown, the area's many assets become immediately apparent. The rich history, beautiful housing stock and diverse community are enough to make other Philly neighborhoods envious. But it’s also become clear that some of these assets are underutilized.

The City Planning Commission, led by Northwest Community Planner Matt Wysong, is looking to change that, starting with the Central Germantown Business District Beautification Plan, officially adopted last September. The Plan aims to improve Germantown’s primary business district at the nexus of Chelten and Germantown Avenues.

"Downtown Germantown was the King of Prussia of the 1950s," says Wysong. "With investment down and vacancy up, the district needs a facelift."

With the plan as a guide, the Planning Commission will implement a series of short- and long-term physical improvements to the commercial corridor over the next few years. The first, and most dramatic, is the reconfiguration of the plaza-like bus stop at Chelten Avenue and Greene Street.
 
"We're looking to fix the function and use of the space -- the basic things," explains Wysong. "We want to make spaces live up to their potential."
 
The improvements will increase transit access and safety for bus riders, and a pedestrian plaza will be created, tying into nearby Vernon Park, another open space Wysong believes is currently underutilized.
 
"The plaza can become a back door to Vernon Park," he says. "We want to take the vibrancy of Chelten and integrate it into Vernon Park."
 
The plaza’s final design has yet to be completed. The Planning Commission and Germantown United CDC held a design charrette at Flying Kite’s On the Ground space (322 W. Chelten Ave.) in February to jumpstart the process.
 
The Commission is also looking to implement streetscape improvements on Chelten between Germantown and Greene. New street trees, addition plantings and enhanced newspaper stands are all potential ideas.
 
Wysong says that even more dramatic improvements are set to take place longterm. Facelifts to Maplewood Mall and other targeted areas throughout the district will take place over the coming years.
 
"These current improvements are pilot projects," says Wysong. "They’re getting the ball rolling. By next summer, if all goes according to plan, you’ll really start to notice a big difference."

Source: Matt Wysong, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

This past Thursday at the Academy of Natural Sciences, three teams were awarded the top prize in Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up!, the widely publicized and much anticipated national green stormwater design competition. (Flying Kite previewed the contest in October.)
 
The event was a collaboration between the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), the Community Design Collaborative and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In all, 28 teams, 101 firms and 315 professionals from across the country submitted proposals that explored the potential of green infrastructure tools. Submissions came from places as diverse as Seattle, New York and St. Louis.  

Teams were asked to address the unique stormwater management challenges and opportunities at one of three Philadelphia sites. Each site embodied a different urban context and land-use challenge (industrial, commercial or neighborhood).

Submissions ranged from greening existing warehouse facilities to creating neighborhood-level EcoDistricts and tackling sewage overflow problems, to determining creative ways to green surface parking lots and large shopping centers.

Of the 28 entries, nine finalists were selected to present their entries to a jury and the public. The jury then selected three winners – one for each study area.
  
"We wanted projects that were innovative," explains juror Nathan Boon with the William Penn Foundation. "We also looked for submissions that could actually be implemented, ideas that can be replicated over many areas."
 
So many creative ideas came out of the exercise that PWD leaders plan to not only work with the winning teams but also the losing teams to make the designs a reality.
 
"Our expectations were far exceeded," says Joanne Dahme from the PWD. "It's given us so many new ideas for new ways to manage stormwater."
 
Over the next 25 years, PWD plans to spend $2 billion on green stormwater infrastructure improvements at varying scales across the city. Many of the competition’s ideas will be used as prototypes.

The three winners are as follows:
 
Industrial: "Leveraging Water + Plants in Zero Lot Sites," led by local firm Roofmeadow.
Neighborhood: "Greening the Grid," led by local landscape architecture firm OLIN.
Commercial: "Retail Retrofit," led by local firm Urban Engineers Inc. with Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects of New York. 

Source:  Nathan Boon, William Penn Foundation; Joanne Dahme, Philadelphia Water Department
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Twenty-four-year-old Temple architecture students Nick Auman and Keith Hartwig might have outgrown the monkey bars, but that doesn't mean they don't like to play.

Their exhibit, "Between Space," an interactive sculpture and installation, challenges the way we think about playground landscapes. A series of suspended nets designed to react to the presence of an individual, "Between Space" is currently on display at the University of the Arts as part of the Hamilton Hall Arts Initiative.

"Inspiration for the project came after observing the conditions of several public Philadelphia playgrounds in which static play elements were isolated in a rigid organizational grid," explains Auman. He and Hartwig concluded that a low-tech, low-cost solution was possible, and that it could improve the quality of public space in Philly while also expanding user reach beyond children.
 
In the display, a full-scale prototype of the playground piece (alongside models) shows how the net could be expanded to create an entire playground system.
 
The two young architects have been working on “Between Space” since the summer 2011. The net is composed of 560 individual knots, a process that took longer than initially expected.

"The scale of work that we proposed was difficult to complete," says Auman. "We were using third party fabricators to create specialized components that we did not have the means to create ourselves." 

Their efforts were well worth it. "We envision the project being adopted by individual neighborhood parks as a temporary event installation," explains Auman, who says they have already created a conceptual design for how the installation could be used at Penn Treaty Park.

"Between Spaces" will be on display at 320 S. Broad Street through March 22.

Source:  Nick Auman and Keith Hartwig, Designers, Between Space
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Thanks to innovative stormwater practices at the Water Department and the EEB Hub’s research into developing energy-efficient buildings, Philly has been generating real solutions behind the buzzwords "green" and "sustainable." Now the suburbs are getting in on the action too – the new Morphotek Inc. manufacturing plant in Exton recently received global recognition, winning the 2013 Facility of the Year Award for Sustainability.

The Facility of the Year Awards recognize state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing projects across the globe that utilize innovative technologies. Morphotek’s plant did just that, incorporating sustainable design, construction and operating features. In the coming months, the plan is expected to earn a LEED certification of Silver or higher.

"The Morphotek Pilot Plant puts Pennsylvania on the map with one of the world's first LEED-certified pharmaceutical buildings," says Robert Dick, principal with Precis Engineering out of Ambler, one of the firm’s responsible for constructing the $80 million, 60,000-square-foot facility. Precis Engineering teamed up with Arcus Design Group Architects, Inc. and HSC Builders & Construction Managers, Inc.
 
Sustainability was integrated into the plant’s design and construction process, starting with remediation of the site (a former brownfield) and ending with the installation of on-site solar panels and water and energy conservation systems.

"Our collaborative design team worked closely with Morphotek to design and execute the project…with emphasis on both sustainability and operational efficiency," says Dick. "We are honored that the Facility of the Year experts recognized our team effort and project results."

The Facility of the Year Sustainability Award will be presented to Morphotek, Precis and the rest of the design team this April in New York City. Additional recognition will come at the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) National Meeting in November and in upcoming issues of Pharmaceutical Processing and Pharmaceutical Engineering magazines.

Source:  Robert Dick, Principal, Precis Engineering
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Just blocks from the Italian Market, Cedars Village, a 64-unit affordable housing development for seniors, is rising in what used to be a surface parking lot. Developed by the St. Maron's CDC and designed by Haley Donovan Architecture, the project offers a case study for delivering affordable housing with modern materials in a historic section of the city.
 
The project "has been welcomed by the neighborhood for it’s modern, yet contextual response," says Jim Haley, principal at Haley Donovan. "It is one of the few design-heavy affordable housing projects in Philadelphia."
 
"As with most urban projects, we had to make use of every square foot to make the project work," says Mike Donovan, another principal with the firm.

The architects had to find a balance -- they had to meet certain unit denisty requirements while avoiding designing a generic monolith.
 
"Our answer was to progressively step the street facing facades up as they moved back, carve out large chunks at the ground level and pay homage to the traditional Philly rowhome," explains Haley. "It allowed us to respect the history of the area, while still providing a solution that was dense enough for our client."
 
That was just the first of many design solutions the team came up with.
 
The site plan concessions called for 100 percent stormwater retention on site, something not easily done on an urban parcel. The designers used a building step back to create a private green roof. This helped them reach that 100 percent mark while also providing an added amenity for residents.
 
The project -- which was resurrected after years of dormancy through collaboration between developers, architects and community leaders -- is aiming for a spring completion date.
 
Source:  Mike Donovan and Jim Haley, Principals, Jeffrey Pastva, Architect, Haley Donovan Architecture
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

It’s been a few short years since Postgreen Homes made headlines with their award-winning 100K House. Since then, they’ve held true to the project’s defining principles, delivering eco-friendly new construction housing that is also affordable. The developers are now introducing a new home model to the Philly market: the Snapback Project in East Kensington.

Designed by award-winning contemporary architecture firm Interface Studio Architects, Snapback delivers a powerful punch despite its smaller than average stature.

In Philadelphia, most new construction townhomes are three stories tall, at a minimum. The Snapback units are two stories, but with an added bonus: a basement that’s five feet higher than standard. This allows more light and air to enter and gives homebuyers more flexibility with the space.

According to Chad Ludeman, president of Postgreen Homes, the idea is to deliver a flexible house with three floors worth of potential space for the construction cost of two. "The concept was solidified when we consulted for a developer in Chicago who brought to our attention that most new homes in the Windy City are constructed this way," says Ludeman.

With a higher-than-average ceiling height, the basements offer the homebuyer the opportunity to customize the home. Ludeman believes families can grow into the house, leaving the space unfinished at first but, over time, finishing it out as a spare bedroom for children, a home office or guest suite.

The homes, which are currently being framed, are selling for $300-$350 thousand, a price tag Ludeman says would have been much higher had they built traditional three-story homes. "The buyer is probably saving forty to fifty thousand dollars with this two-story model," he explains.

Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about for Ludemann and Postgreen: building new construction units with price points attainable at the Area Median Income of a Philly household. For market rate homes in the city, that number is $200-$450 thousand.

With other projects like Duplexcellence in South Kensington selling for as low as $250 thousand, Postgreen now has 14 units of affordable market rate housing under its belt. Building where land is cheap, keeping homes small and using basic finishes keeps costs low, while still allowing the projects to have a modern feel and sleek design.

"We’re not a non-profit," says Ludeman. "We still have to make money, but we’re constantly looking for ways to pass savings on to homebuyers."

Source:  Chad Ludeman, Postgreen Homes
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

This Wednesday at the final Central District Plan Public Open House, city planners will officially announce big changes for four of the city’s central subway stops.
 
The stations -- the Fairmount and Lombard-South stops along the Broad Street Line, and the Spring Garden and Girard stops on the Market-Frankford Line -- will each be covered by a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) overlay district, a zoning tool that encourages higher densities and use diversity within walking distance of transit stations.
 
Brand new to the Philly planning scene, the TOD districts are being implemented through the Philadelphia 2035 Comprehensive Plan district planning process.
 
TOD is a common tool used by urban planners to encourage development around transit assets in an effort to build walkable, pedestrian-oriented cities. According to Central District Plan Manager Laura Spina, the four stops were chosen because development potential around them is high and surrounding land is somewhat underutilized. The Girard stop, for example, currently attracts auto-oriented development such as drive-thrus and surface parking lots. 

These sites were also chosen because their base zoning lends itself to a TOD overlay. Plus, major commerical corridors run through each stop -- an ideal situation for restricting curb cuts and encouraging pedestrian-oriented development.

In addition to higher densities and more mixed-use development, affordable housing will likely be a big component of TOD around each stop. "The overlays include incentives for affordable housing," says Spina. "Access to transit is particularly important for elderly and low-income populations."

Spina says the four locations are tentative and could change depending on public feedback at the Open House on Wednesday, February 27 (5 - 7:30 p.m. at City Hall).

From there, barring any major hiccups, the Central District Plan and newly minted TOD overlays will be adopted by the Planning Commission by June.

According to Spina, TOD won’t stop there -- this zoning tool is likely to play a large role in future district plans.

Source:  Laura Spina, City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Come spring, the long-awaited eco-friendly reNewBold development will be well under construction at 16th and Moore Streets. Planned for the former site of the Francis M. Drexel School, the project is a big step for Newbold, a neighborhood undergoing major revitalization.

Once completed, the project will boast 18 owner-occupied townhomes and one corner commercial space. It’s the first privately financed new construction residential project in the area in well over 50 years. And to top it off, it screams green.

Designed by Interface Studio Architects in conjunction with construction manager Postgreen, the homes will feature bicycle parking, green roofs, bamboo flooring, triple pane windows and on-sight stormwater mitigation practices. The designers are aiming for a 50 percent reduction in energy use from a similarly sized home.

Developer John Longacre of LPMG Companies expects the first phase of the project to be completed before summer, with full build-out anticipated by the end of 2014. "We can have the units built and sold within 18 months of starting construction," he explains.

That achievement is a long time coming for Longacre: Developing this particularly property has been "quite a challenge" due to the arduous process of clearing the property’s title. "It’s taken several years for us to clear the property of numerous liens," he says. "Now we’re finally ready to move forward." 

Longacre sees the project as the "missing piece" in Newbold’s rebirth. "When [LPMG] came down here 10 years ago, there wasn’t much going on," he says. "Since then, we’ve strategically tried to bring businesses and residents to the area and tried to get slumlords to improve their properties."

That mission has been a success -- the area now features numerous South Philly institutions, including Ultimo Coffee, South Philly Tap Room, Miss Rachel’s Pantry and the American Sardine Bar.

Longacre is also aiming for affordability: units will range in cost from $250,000 to $325,000. Despite all the delays, three have already sold. 

Source:  John Longacre, LPMG Companies
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

In dense urban neighborhoods where land is scarce, open space is often called upon to wear multiple hats. In Germantown, the John B. Kelly School yard is undergoing a massive renovation to do just that: be a playground, yes, but also a gathering space for the whole neighborhood. The plan is called KellyGreen.
 
“Our goal is that the Kelly yard become more green and sustainable so that it has a real purpose for the kids that come here," explains Dennis Barneby with the Hansberry Garden and Nature Center, an organization partnering with the school to transform the yard. "We also want to create a gardening space."
 
Currently, the site is largely asphalt and underutilized by the school’s 800 students. It's something Barneby has seen firsthand -- the school is only a block away from Hansberry Garden. "It just made sense -- lets look at this space and see how we can use it better for the kids and better for the whole neighborhood," explained Barneby in a recent interview on Northwest Soapbox.

The KellyGreen initiative was born. Thanks to a planning grant from the Community Design Collaborative, design professionals and community representatives were enlisted. A design charette process and subsequent meetings led to a workable plan. 
 
Barneby and Hansberry Garden hope the improved school yard will become a place where kids and adults learn how to grow their own food, both in school and during the summer. Ultimately, it’s about creating stewards of land and community.
 
Now in the fundraising phase, KellyGreen plans to hold a major event this spring. At a minimum, it will involve planting trees and installing raised beds. Some of the planned play equipment could also be installed.
 
With a successful fundraising push, Barneby hopes KellyGreen will be complete within the next two years.

Source:  Dennis Barneby, Hansberry Garden and Nature Center
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

For those anxiously awaiting the new SimCity's March release, Philadelphia city planners have an alternate fix. As part of a broad effort to engage more Philadelphians, the Planning Commission has adopted a fun, easy, interactive way to solicit public feedback for their ongoing district plans. Dubbed Philadelphia2035: The Game, the new tool is being used in conjunction with the ongoing University/Southwest District Plan.
 
By utilizing these new web tools, planners can reach a much bigger audience than with public meetings alone. So far it looks like efforts are paying off -- according to the Planning Commission's Clint Randall, 650 to 700 people have already registered to play. "The high interest hopefully means people are learning more about planning and projects coming to their neighborhood," says Randall.

The structure is simple: Players register online and then complete challenges featuring questions such as "What is Beautiful?" and "What Doesn’t Work?" In addition, players can post ideas for making their neighborhood a better version of its current self. Participants can also drop pins on a Google map, identifying what type of new development they’d like to see and where. 
 
Those without Internet access can play the game from any of the city's KEYSPOTs, free computing centers that are now up and running in the district.
  
The game also has an off-line impact. "As players earn coins for correct answers during the game, they can donate them to real-life causes, all based within the University/Southwest planning district," explains Randall. 
 
With seven causes currently under consideration, a donation toward the greening of the Lea Elementary School is the early frontrunner.
 
But not to fret, there’s still time to sign up and fight for some coin for a cause you care about. Players have the opportunity to donate their coins at the end of each of the three week-long missions. At the close of the game (February 18), the top three causes will each receive a $500 donation. 

Source:  Clint Randall, City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

In some cities, land use planning and zoning are the last places you’d look for news on cutting edge innovations. Here in Philly, we know better. This April, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) will receive a Best Practice Award from the American Planning Association (APA) for their innovative efforts integrating planning and zoning processes.

PCPC recently coordinated three distinct planning efforts simultaneously: the Citizens Planning Institute, Philadelphia 2035, and a zoning code and map revision.  

"I’m not aware of any other comparable city doing such a comprehensive planning treatment in such a brief period of time," says CPC Executive Director Gary Jastrzab.

Jastrzab and his staff began tackling these projects nearly four years ago. "The last comprehensive plan or major zoning revision was in the 1960s, so it was time for a modernization," he explains.

Four years and countless public meetings, hearings, drafts and re-drafts later, Philadelphia now has a regulatory environment featuring those three profound tools. The Citizens Planning Institute, PCPC’s education and outreach entity, encourages leadership and participation among residents, educating them on urban planning in their communities. Philadelphia 2035, the city’s first comprehensive plan in over 50 years, includes 18 specific district plans either completed, underway or about to get started. Lastly, the city’s zoning reform included both a rewrite of the city’s 50-year-old code and multiple zoning map revisions as recommended in the ongoing Philadelphia 2035 district plans.

"In any city -- let alone one as large and politically complex as Philadelphia -- undertaking either a comprehensive plan, zoning code rewrite, or citizen planner leadership program, would have been a major accomplishment," explains APA Pennsylvania Awards Committee chairman Dennis Puko in a press release. "Philadelphia through 2011 to 2012 did all three, and integrated them to achieve the most positive outcomes."

The Best Practice award for Philadelphia’s Integrated Planning and Zoning Process will be presented at APA’s National Planning Conference in Chicago on Tuesday, April 16.
 
Source: Gary Jastrzab, Executive Director, City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Over the last 15 years, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway undergone dramatic changes. New museums, bike lanes, trees and pop-up cafes have all been added to the iconic Philly boulevard. 

On February 4, the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation will unveil their latest plan for the Parkway: "More Park, Less Way: An Action Plan to Increase Urban Vibrancy on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway." 
 
Since last Spring, Parks and Recreation -- in conjunction with Penn Praxis and the Penn Project for Civic Engagement -- has been working with the community to develop guiding principles for low cost, big impact improvement projects that can be implemented in the short-term. Four community meetings were held in late July.

According to Patrick Morgan, chief of staff to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis, that information was incredibly influential in devising the final plan. "The planning process was guided and informed by citizens," he says. "We heard a lot of exciting ideas." Those ideas included adding more pedestrian amenities, improving connections to surrounding neighborhoods, greening improvements and increasing accessibility.

More details will be announced at the plan’s unveiling, which will be held at the Academy of Natural Sciences (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway) at 5:30 p.m.
  
If you’d like to attend the event, please RSVP to [email protected].

Source: Patrick Morgan, chief of staff to Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Since 1908, Starr Garden Park has been an important neighborhood asset. Taking up the entire 600 block of Lombard Street in Society Hill, the 2.2-acre park is the oldest multigenerational playground in Philadelphia.
 
With that kind of history comes serious wear and tear, but thanks to the Starr Garden Neighbors, a relatively new community group dedicated to maintaining and improving the space, the future is bright.
 
The park has always had a lot going for it: beautiful old trees, a great location and a number of amenities including a ball field, a sports field and two basketball courts. "It’s a neighborhood gem," says Starr Garden Neighbors' Laurel Landau. "The space just needed some love."
 
The organization started small. "We organized and participated in five successful clean-up days, some city-wide," explains Landau. "We bagged thousands of pounds of leaves, collected trash, painted benches and fences, planted annuals and perennials, and removed graffiti."
 
According to Landau, the clean-up days helped the group build momentum, gaining attention from nearby residents. They eventually held two successful fundraising events. "We raised several hundreds of dollars for greening of the park," she says. "We have tapped very receptive local vendors to donate food for us to sell or gift certificates for us to give as raffle prizes."
 
The Neighbors have also secured two grants. The first, a Green Machine Grant from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, provided hands-on instruction in prepping, maintaining, selecting and planting a garden; it was installed on October 14.
 
The second, an Event Programming Grant from the Fairmount Park Conservancy, is being used for their upcoming Winterfest (2-4 p.m. Saturday, February 2). The event is being held in collaboration with Friends of Seger Park Playground, another open space just a few blocks away celebrating their new playground. Starr Garden’s portion of the fest will include a DJ, craft table, ice carving demo, face painting and other family-friendly events.
 
The next clean-up day is set for Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. January 21.
 
Ultimately, the Neighbors’ ambitions reach beyond cleaning, lighting and receptacles -- it’s about quality of life and raising a family in the city. "Most of us involved have young children," says Landau. "We want them to grow up here." 

Source: Laurel Landau, Starr Garden Neighbors
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

East Girard Avenue in Fishtown has the bones of a great commercial corridor. The blocks between Front Street and I-95 feature a tight knit collection of businesses and great architecture, with easy access to public transit. The booming development in the surrounding neighborhood has led to an influx of restaurants, shops and bars.
 
The New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) is working hard to steward that development. Recent tangible accomplishments include a hyper-pedestrian streetscape plan and "Take Me to the River," a gateway feature connecting East Girard to nearby Penn Treaty Park. Now, with two big initiatives in the pipeline, NKCDC looks to improve the intangible: East Girard’s image.
 
The first, LISC Corridors of Retail Excellence -- LISC CORE for short -- is the result of a grant from LISC. According to NKCDC's Angie Williamson, the group will utilize the funds to make "a big impact with small investments" along the corridor.  
 
One example is a Model Block Initiative on visual merchandising, focused on the stretch of Girard between Oxford and Marlborough Streets. Quite simply, NKCDC hopes the campaign will become "an example for others along East Girard to follow." To achieve that goal, NKCDC hired local architects David Quadrini and Brian Syzmanik. They'll work with the block's businesses to improve window displays and facades, and connect pedestrians on the sidewalk with activity inside.
 
"Sometimes it’s as simple as leaving the lights on at night or placing the cash register in just the right place," explains Williamson. "We’re trying to help local businesses develop an understanding of visual merchandising and design, skills they can use years from now."

The Model Block program should be complete by early summer, about the same time the CDC’s other large initiative will be complete. That project, Girard Avenue East District Marketing, is being funded by another healthy grant, this time from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.  
 
"It’s purely a marketing plan," says Williamson, "but there will be quite a bit of urban design components as well." Local firms Letter 27 and Interface Studio LLC, known for their graphic design prowess and branding expertise, have been tapped for the job. They hope to establish East Girard as a destination beyond its immediate neighborhood.
 
Beyond the summer, Williamson and NKCDC have their eye on the ultimate selling point for the corridor: the Front and Girard El SEPTA stop. "It’s a big gateway opportunity for us," says Williamson, noting that its current condition leaves something to be desired. "Once you enter East Girard from the El, we want as nice an experience as possible, so that’s what we’ll focus on improving in the future."
 
So far, no funding has been identified for such an ambitious project, but Williamson remains optimistic that dramatic improvements can be made in the not-too-distant future. 

For more on the NKCDC's efforts in Fishtown, check out our feature on Executive Director Sandy Salzman.

Source: Angie Williamson, New Kensington CDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Flying Horse Center in Germantown is best known for its industrial reuse story. In 2010, the Community Design Collaborative chose the 85-year-old parking garage, which had been transformed into a multi-use community center, as a model of adaptive reuse in its Retooling Industrial Sites exhibit.

With most of the 55,000-square-foot facility leased and the final phase of office flex space being built, owner Stan Smith is once again using the hulking structure as a leading example of how to combat some of Philly’s chronic urban woes. This time he’s taking on another form of neighborhood blight: graffiti. In a page out of Jane Golden’s playbook, he’s allowing local artists to use portions of the Flying Horse Center’s facade as a showcase for street art.

"The building gets so much exposure because of its central location right next to the train stop," explains Smith. "The graffiti that plagued the building was sending the wrong message. It made me mad."

The building directly abuts the Chestnut Hill West regional rail line and features a large, highly visible brick wall along the tracks. For years that stretch of the façade got the brunt of the tagging. "It was ruining the beautiful brick," says Smith.

But the brick wall also featured large portions of cinderblock that covered up windows from another era. Smith decided that those parts of the wall could be used to show off graffiti in a way that didn’t detract from the building, putting the graffiti artists' work to good use. 

"I want to give respect to Germantown as well as the message behind the graffiti movement," says Smith. "I support graffiti as an art form. We can survive together, it just needs to be responsible."

Smith worked with Nelson Glendinning and his father Andrew from Germantown Academy, allowing Nelson to showcase his work on the cinderblocks. 

Nelson took full advantage of the opportunity, producing interesting artwork that enhances the building, pays respect to its history and acts as a gateway to Chelten Avenue and Germantown.

But work remains. "We still have a lot of cinderblocks to do and an even bigger message to get out there," says Smith. "Nelson’s one man. He can’t do it all."

Smith has received a tremendous amount of interest from other local artists to help finish the project. So far no one has officially signed on, but Smith believes that Nelson’s compelling work will help sell others on the idea. 

Source: Stan Smith, Flying Horse Center
Writer: Greg Meckstroth